In January this year, two piracy incidents took place on cargo-carrying ships in the waters of the neighbouring country India. In addition, five more incidents occurred on the Singapore route. In all, seven piracy incidents took place in January on cargo ships, but Chittagong port and the country’s water boundary were free of piracy. Earlier, throughout the year 2021, the water boundary of Chittagong port remained free from piracy.
The international organisation ReCAAP published this information in their monthly report last week. The organisation has been working since 2006 to prevent armed robbery, piracy, and theft on commercial ships. The report states that the robberies took place on 3 January in oil tanker Mid Eagle, on 6 January in tug boat Cain Sun 1 and Cain Sun 8, on 8 January in tanker Blue Sea, on 8 January in chemical tanker Bo Santos, on 19 January in tugboat Rose and Vimla-1, oil rig Hi Duong-19 and Hakuru-5 and on 10 January in tanker M S Carla.
The ReCAAP report expresses concern over the increase in piracy in the Singapore route; ReCAAP has made several recommendations for controlling it. It mentioned that in January 2021, there were three robberies in the Singapore route; five occurred in 2022. In January 2021, there was one robbery in India; two occurred in 2022. In the report, three countries were able to free themselves from piracy in January; these are Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Before this, piracy was rampant in Indonesia. In 2021, there were three robberies in Indonesia; zero in 2022. In 2021 there was one robbery in the Philippines; zero in 2022. In 2021 there was one robbery in Vietnam and in 2022 it went down to zero.
